Looking to do your own DIY modern mailbox?! Look no further! This DIY modern style mailbox makes me so sooo excited every time I pull into the driveway!!
I don’t have a true “before” photo but our old mailbox was a handmade mailbox, that looked like a white house with green shutters. I’m pretty sure there were little ducks on it too that I took off years ago (it was the previous owners handy work) and it was cute, but not my style. I didn’t like it from the start but when I asked Brad if we could replace it, he said it worked fine (and we had bigger projects that needed our attention).
But one day, it didn’t work fine anymore. It got hit by a delivery truck. I did manage to get a photo after the delivery driver plowed it in last winter. Before I saw it, I asked the driver how bad it was and her response was “Oh it’s pretty bad!” and as I turned the corner and saw it, I laughed out loud. YES, it was pretty bad!! Not salvageable at all.
But inside I was doing a happy dance because that meant I got to pick out something different for the new mailbox. We both loved the modern look of this mailbox style. It was unique and no one we know has a mailbox similar to this so we decided to go for it. I was unable to find a tutorial online for how to do this ourselves, only an etsy link asking us to buy the plans. I knew we could figure this one out on our own!
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So here is how we did our own DIY modern mailbox…
Our base was already there. Even though it could probably use a little cosmetic love, the concrete base is still sturdy so we decided we could keep that.
This mailbox is the one we found and the modern look was what we were going for. We were able to customize it to get the door and flag black as well.
For the mailbox support, we needed two – 4×4 treated posts, one in the front, and one in the back. For the height of the front one, we had to make sure was within the height range of what is required for mailboxes. According to USPS, it has to be between 41-45 inches in height. Double check with your local postal service to be sure you are within the range they require.
We first mounted the front post at the correct height. We used these brackets and hammer drilled a hole in to the concrete, placed a large anchor in to hold it, then mounted the post to the bracket. We checked to make sure it was level each time we mounted the post. (Take into account the bracket added an extra inch or two to the height for when you cut your 4×4 posts.)
Next, I mounted the back post. For this one, I knew I wanted the top of the mailbox to be flush with the top trim piece, which was 3/4″ thick. I measured the height of the first post, added the height of the mailbox (to get the flush measurement) then subtracted 3/4″ to allow room for that top trim piece. (see photo below for what I’m referring to as wanting the trim to be flush with the mailbox) This is the measurement I cut for the second post.
Once this post was mounted, I needed to mount the piece for the mailbox to sit on. I just used a scrap piece of 1×6, and cut it to the dimensions that runs from the front of the shorter post, to the inside of the taller post. I screwed a scrap to the taller post to support this piece.
Next, I was ready to mount the mailbox. Learn from my mistakes. For this particular mailbox, it has to be able to have the door open all the way so you will need to mount it with a little overhang from the bottom support piece and post. Test it out to make sure the door opens all the way before you mount it. I had to mount it a few different times to get it right!
Once the mailbox is mounted, I needed to add just one more support piece right behind the mailbox, this one going up and down. This is so I have something to nail the pretty trim boards to in a bit.
Next, we are ready for the pretty trim boards. For these, I used 1×6 treated pine. I let them dry out for a while (approx 3 months before staining them). For the stain, I wanted a lighter, brown/gray look. I used a mix of a white stain, let that dry and then went over it with a brown/gray stain.
Now we are ready to make this look pretty!!
Before you start adding the face boards, make sure the posts are level. First, I cut the top trim piece. I used 2 1/2 inch nails in a nail gun to attach the trim boards.
Then I cut the front and back trim piece and mounted them with a nail gun.
For the side pieces, I measured the opening of each section before making the cut. Your’s will vary based on how big you make your mailbox but I would recommend measuring the opening, then subtracting 1/4 inch on each side to allow for a little gap.
I did this all the way down on each side of the mailbox until I made it to the bottom. We could’ve stopped there but I wanted some fun numbers on the mailbox as well. I found these floating house numbers on Amazon and loved the gold color.
I loved it until I tried to place the gold numbers directly onto my light wood boards and they were too hard to read. We decided we needed something black behind the letters in order to make the numbers stand out and also to tie the black mailbox in with the rest of unit. We found this flat piece of trim at menards and it actually came in black so I didn’t even have to paint it. Just a couple quick cuts to make it the width and height I wanted, we screwed it to the mailbox with some black screws. Then, we were ready to mount the numbers to the black piece!
And there you have it, our DIY modern mailbox!! You know you are officially an adult when your mailbox brings a smile to your face!!
